Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tijuana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tijuana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Tijuana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,157 in Tijuana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,924 in Tijuana.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Tijuana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Tijuana is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$12.70 MX$215

-64.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$36.68 MX$620

-11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.70 MX$181

-16.82%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.52 MX$76.4

-38.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.44 MX$24.28

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.24 MX$21.03

-60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.63 MX$61.4

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$7.03 MX$119

-47.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.99 MX$33.58

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$3.10 MX$52.4

-53.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.91 MX$32.28

-17.28%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.49 MX$58.9

-38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$8.59 MX$145

131.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$7.87 MX$133

-56.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.58 MX$213

-9.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.05 MX$51.5

-3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.77 MX$29.83

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.09 MX$35.24

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.67 MX$28.21

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.62 MX$27.29

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.01 MX$33.90

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.61 MX$27.29

-31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.09 MX$18.50

-47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.60 MX$77.8

-7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$8.57 MX$145

114.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.36 MX$39.96

-20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$4.38 MX$74.0

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.19 MX$20.14

86.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$33.11 MX$560

-30.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.11 MX$52.5

-2.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.32 MX$39.28

-53.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.62 MX$348

-80.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.58 MX$26.78

-5.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$22.9K MX$386.8K

18.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$25.7K MX$435.0K

6.64%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$103 ฿3,379

$51.4 MX$869

99.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.99 ฿361

$36.50 MX$617

-69.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$32.47 MX$549

-46.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$42.53 MX$719

25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$8.67 MX$147

29.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.02 MX$119

6.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$557 ฿18.3K

$221 MX$3,730

152.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$5,034 MX$85.1K

135.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$57.0 MX$963

12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$48.55 MX$820

-40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$108 MX$1,833

-11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$75.2 MX$1,271

20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$938 MX$15.9K

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$512 MX$8,647

-2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,641 MX$27.7K

27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$940 MX$15.9K

28.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,312 MX$56.0K

8.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,975 MX$50.3K

-15.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$1,015 MX$17.2K

-50.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.07

-53.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $938 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tijuana pays 102% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Tijuana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $284 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Tijuana. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $938 in Tijuana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $221 in Tijuana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Tijuana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Tijuana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tijuana. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tijuana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tijuana are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Tijuana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.